Improvement in water-wheels



UNITED STATES Paritaria"l Carton.'

J. M. WILLIAMS, OF GONNERSVILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEELS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 59,304, dated October30, 1866.y

To all whom it may] concern-.-

Be it known that I, JAMES M. WILLIAMs, of Connersville, Fayette county,in the State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement inVater-Wh eels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. f'

Figure l is a top View of the pen-stock, with the wheel-case and chutestherein. Fig. 2 is a view of the wheel removed from the chutecase. Fig.3 is a vertical section of the penstock and the chutes in their case.Fig. 4 is a view ofthe annular gate, with openings there-- incorresponding with the number and shape of the chutes.

My improved water-wheel, represented in Fig. 2', consists of the centraltop disk a, with a ring and stay-bar at the base, through which themill-shaft b passes, and the shaft is rmly secured or keyed to theseparts and in the center thereof; and between these, and standingtangentially to the top disk a and ring, the ends of the bucketsareattached in any suitable manner. The buckets c, at theouter lowercorner, form a right angle. The bottom extends horizontally from thebase-ring or annular ange to the periphery of the chute-case, which willbe hereinafter described.

From the point of attach ment of the buckets to the disk a the upperedge of the bucket forms a spiral line, meeting the outer lower cornerthereof, as seen in the drawings, and the inner ends of the buckets aresloped at an angle from the point of attachment to disk a to the pointof attachment to the flange or ring at the bottom of the wheel. The ringis of greater circumference than the disk a. The object of this mannerof constructing the inner portion of the wheel is to afford a sucientaperture for the free discharge of the water centrally throughthe bottomof the wheel. The buckets are curved vertically and form an irregularsection of a cylinder.

The chute-case surrounding and inclosing the wheel (except the centralcircular opening at the bottom for the escape of the water) con sists ofa crowning or convex cover for the wheel, and a plane .bottom with thecircular opening for the discharge above referred t0.

The dome or cover extends in a regular curve from a point about halfwaydistant from the shaft to the bottom of the case, to which it isattached by any suitable fastenings. This form of the cover or top andsides of the chutecase corresponds with the upper and outer extremitiesof the buckets c.

The chutes d extend up from the top of the case, through which theypass, and are flattened tapering tubes with a continuous flangeextending in a circle around horizontally near the circumference of thechute-case. Upon the horizontally-extending flange of the chutes theannular gate g, with openings correspond ing with the size of thechutes, rests, and is held in place by lips, and is operated by thepinion and rack e f. The lips are attached to the flange of the chutes,and are bent up and over the edges of the gate to retain itin placevwhen moved upon its scat.

The chutes are cast with thexcase, and incline from top to bottom at anangle of forty-five degrees from a perpendicular, and centrally inincline in order to give to the water a direction toward the centraldischarge-opening as it (the water) strikes the bucket. A cone-shapedbrace, to support the wheel-shaft in a vertical line, is to be cast outhe top and center of thc chute-case.

The drawings represent the chute-case as connected at its perimeterwi-th'the lower portion of the pin-stock; but in constructing my wheeland chute-case with its gate it will be made separate from thepen-stock, and set within it in the usual manner of applying the turbinewheels with a central discharge.

The wheel-sh aft may be stepped in a suitable bridge-tree extendingacross the opening in the bottom of the chute-case, where the water isdischarged. A suitable shaft extends up from the pinion which operatesthe gate, and by which the gate is operated from any desired elevation.

From the very simple construction of my improved wheel, as described,the operation will be readily understood.

The fore-bay or pen-stock bein glilled with wa= ter, and the gate beingmoved around by the shaft, its pinion, and the rack, any desiredquantityof water is allowed to pass through all the chutes uniformly,and the chutes directthe pass:

ing Water into the buckets, which are of the form, internally, ofatrough. The chutes being` inclined from the top of the case inwardly toward the Wheel-shaft, and the buckets standing tangentially, asrepresented, to the Wheel, the Water is caused to be promptly dischargedthrough the opening in the bottom of the wheelcase as soon as its forceis expended upon the wheel.

In constructing,` my Wheel of castiron, the top disk thereof, as well asthe bottom rin g or ange and the buckets, will be made separately, andfirmly bolted together with two or more bolts at the top and bottom.

The top or dome of the chute-case, with the chutes, may also be castseparately from the bottom of the wheel-case, and afterthe Wheel isbrought into position the case will be placed over it. Of course, thebottom thereof will rest upon the floor of the pen-stock, which willhave an aperture corresponding` with the discharge-opening of thechutecase or wheel-case, which is the same thing.

Having fully described my improvement in water-wheels, what I claim, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent as my invention, is

1. The water-wheel constructed as described, combining the disk a, andbuckets o with an annular ange for a base, in the manner and

